Why Los Amates?

Why Los Amates?: El Salvador is currently enduring a series of violent gang related crisis that has had a negative and penetrative impact on too many communities, families, women and children. Poverty and gang violence have consequentially lead to a staggering drop-out rate amongst children in primary and secondary schools. La Prensa Gráfica, El Salvador’s national newspaper, reported in 2017 that 42.6% of students in grade 6 in 2011 continued onto high school. El Salvador also continues to suffer from gender-based violence where women and girls are being heavily and disproportionately targeted. Fortunately, many after-school programs have arisen in order to occupy students and prevent participation in gang activity, and are able to stimulate those who are not able to attend a school and provide a momentary ‘safe space’. Academia de Fútbol Juvenil Amatense (AFJA) is a program that holds these preventative measures at its center, and is focused to create a fun and interactive space for children and youth through the country’s favorite sport, soccer, whilst developing learning opportunities. Fútbol, or soccer, has the ability to teach students, children and youth about solidarity amongst each other, and allows them to formulate strong interpersonal relationships and skills with their team members and others off the field. Participants are also given the opportunity to engage with co-ed spaces where girls and boys learn gender equality, and can dismantle the stigma of ‘boys being better than girls.. Most importantly, AFJA provides a place for children to be children, to play freely, and to encourages education amongst participants.